Hello all,

My 1988 760 Turbo with 208,000 miles has been running great - until recently when the temps here in Michigan dropped to near 0 degrees. First, a little background on recent events. After outdoor temp dropped to around freezing, car would start on first crank, but would run rough for less than a minute, then run smoothly as it has when temps were higher. I should note that I have been getting about 20 MPGs until the last 3 fill-ups when the mileage dropped to 17-18 MPGs. The last tank lasted only about 150 miles - very strange. I had taken a trip of about 150 miles 2 days ago when the temp was around 3 degrees cruising around 70 MPH. This is when my problems really became pronounced. The engine seemed to be suffering from low power during this trip and the boost gauge was consistently in the upper range to maintain speed. With the fuel gauge dropping so quickly and smoke coming out of the tailpipe whenever I would punch it, I pulled over to inspect the engine. Popped the hood and saw that the turbo was red hot. Scared the crap out of me. I made it home another 10 miles, popped the hood and saw that the turbo was not glowing any longer. One more thing to do the next day! That morning, I tried to start the car. I was surprised that it started right up, rough idling as has been the case in the cold. Popped the hood, the car stalled, and I have been unable to start it since.

After spending many hours on the Brickboard looking for similar problems, I have come close, but can't find the same problem. I came across a post about gas in the oil, so I pulled the stick. Sure smells like gas to me. Would this cause the turbo to get red hot? What other potential componenet failures should I investigate (various sensors, vacuum hoses, etc.)?

This problem seems to have started once it got real cold here. I'd sure appreciate any and all help with this since this is my only mode of transportation.

Thanks a million (just hope it doesn't cost that much)!